E Wawa Ra N G Ā T I
W H Ā T U A
ISSUE One - June 2014
Ō R Ā K E I
KAUMĀTUA KAPAHAKA Our leaders leading the way at the 2014 Kapahaka Regionals.
CAPTURING POTENTIAL Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s first Census.
ROUND THE BAYS 2014 25 Strong
T R U S T 1
L I M I T E D E Wawa Ra
“Mā tō tātou whanaungatanga e “By our kinship we
Kupu whakataki a te Heamana Chairman’s Kōrero
I was honoured to be elected as the Chair for the next 2 years. I have served now for 18 years under great Rangatira such as Sir Hugh Kawharu, Ruby Grey and Grant Hawke whose guiding influence remains at the Board table. I hope to do them all proud. We are 5 months into the new Board with 5 new faces who each inject excitement and skill. I aim to bring the best out of all the team but will move quickly to get results for whānau on the ground. I meet often with the Chairs of our subsidiary companies Whai Maia (social) and Whai Rawa (commercial) to ensure all are paddling the waka together. In the next month we will be focused on agreeing the key priorities and budgets for the next financial year beginning July 1, 2014. At the end of this year we will begin a conversation with you all to review and confirm our vision and kaupapa to ensure we understand the dreams and ideas of the hapū. The protection of our mana in central Tāmaki is paramount and is a key focus of your Trust and the Taumata Kaumātua. We expect all to stand together at the many festivals, events and pōwhiri should a challenge be laid by those who forget where they are. We want to ensure we are represented well and skillfully across the rohe and will identify capable people beyond our table and hold wānanga to develop and support each other. As we head into the cold months I personally wish you all a safe and healthy winter and the best of luck to those competing on the sportfields and courts across Tāmaki and beyond. Phillip Te Waka Davis
2
whakataki i te ritenga tika”
s t r i v e to m e e t o u r p r e s e n t a n d f u t u r e n e e d s ”
Kāinga
A step toward financial independence In December 2013, 5 months after launching the Kāinga initiative, 30 Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei whānau were selected for the first new housing development on the papakāinga in ten years. Kāinga – home, Tuatahi – the first, is the first papakāinga home ownership model of its kind where whānau will be able to recognise equity in their homes. Over 330 Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei members had expressed an interest in hapū housing initiatives, with 45 of those meeting the strict financial criteria that was needed for a development of this scale. Of those selected, 27 whānau are first home owners with three homes being balloted to those who have owned or own a home. The Trust supports housing development on the papakāinga and whānau becoming home owners which is a step toward financial independence. To be in a position to create such opportunities by using our own asset base is exciting for us. The Kāinga Tuatahi development site is on both sides of Kupe Street and is guided by the Papakāinga masterplan which can be viewed at http://www.ngatiwhatuaorakei.com/?s=papakainga. The plan aims to house as many whānau as is comfortable with a mix of standalone houses and medium density townhouses. Over the next year Whai Maia and Whai Rawa will be developing a Papakāinga Development Plan that will help identify how and when future Kāinga are developed so we can avoid another decade long wait for new housing opportunities. We will also be looking at the potential for developing new social housing opportunities for tribal members.
Hosting the Auckland Council
Ōrākei hosts first ever Council meeting on a marae
The Auckland Council had their first ever Council meeting on a marae, at Ōrākei on April 17. However Tawhirimatea and Tangaroa dominated the morning, closing Tāmaki Drive and creating rush hour traffic havoc which cancelled the meeting. However, the pōwhiri went ahead for Councilors including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor along with their new CEO Stephen Town. The skies cleared and a relaxing lunch was had that gave everyone the opportunity to engage more meaningfully. The Council were reminded that their Treaty partnership was with those who signed the Treaty and not the Independent Māori Statutory Board, the Iwi Liaison Staff or the Tāmaki Collective. The Trust looks forward to continuing working with the Council to fulfill the vision of Te Kawau to jointly develop Auckland for mutual benefit.
3
E Wawa Ra
Te Puru o Tāmaki Kaumātua
“It was their moment to reflect on what they had achieved not only as Te Puru o Tāmaki kaumātua but as our representation from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei”
Kia piri tata mai e ngā iwi I runga i te whenua Ōrākei e Ka ui ake rā (Nā wai) Te pōhiri Māku e kī atu Ōrākei tāngata Ōrākei tūpuna Ōrākei whakapapa Kia ora rā
We welcome the peoples from near and far Upon our sacred lands The question is posed; whose is the voice of welcome? I will say to you; it belongs to the people of Ōrākei The descendants of Tuperiri
“The song above was written by Joe Pihema and gifted to Ōrākei whānau to use as a waiata tautoko.” Te Puru o Tāmaki kaumātua took to the stage on Saturday 5 April 2014 to tautoko the kaupapa of the Tāmaki Kapahaka Regional competition. The journey began back in January when a small group of kaumātua decided to meet on a Sunday to revive and learn the beautiful waiata of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. Their goal was to learn all the words and actions to a great line up of waiata sung many years ago and to perform on stage at the regionals. What a fantastic whakaaro! Every week the group grew bigger as more kaumātua and whānau heard about the practises and even those who did not want to perform sat in support of the group. It was amazing whanaungatanga and manaakitanga every Sunday on our Marae learning waiata from our pepi, to our tamariki, to our rangatahi, to our pakeke, to our kaumātua. Just being together and then sharing lunch afterwards was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday morning. Our front row kuia ranged in age from 60+ to 85+ and their beautiful melodic voices just wowed all the whānau especially hearing the sopranos, melodies and alto notes. Not to forget our wonderful kaumātua who complimented the singing with their tenor and bass voices. It is a sound that you never get tired of listening to. Dress rehearsal for our kaumātua was held on the 3rd April in our whare, Tumutumuwhenua and our night of entertainment started with our tamariki from Ōrākei
Primary followed by our rangatahi from Selwyn College. Their performances set the platform for our kaumātua who were so excited to perform their items in front of whānau. From their first note singing ‘Beneath the Māori Moon’ to their final ‘hi aue hi’ in the whakawātea, there was not a dry eye in the whare. Whānau clapped and cheered as they belted out each item and when they took their bow at the end the whare erupted into a standing ovation with haka tautoko coming from our rangatahi from Selwyn College and AGGS. It was truly a magical night and everyone felt the wairua, aroha, manaaki and whanaungatanga of our kaumātua. This night will go down in the history books. Our kaumātua performance at the kapahaka regionals was just as powerful as their dress rehearsal. They received a standing ovation from the crowd after their performance and accolades flowed into the changing room from seasoned performers from Waka Huia and Te Roopu Manutaki. It was their moment to reflect on what they had achieved not only as Te Puru o Tāmaki kaumātua but as our representation from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. A very PROUD moment for all of us. After all the adrenalin and excitement, they all boarded the bus and headed back to Ōrākei, most of them choosing to have a ‘nanny nap’. What a privilege it was for me to be on this journey with our kaumātua and what role models we have for all of us to look up to and be proud of. Ka mau te wehi! Marama Royal
(more images found on page 10)
W H A I
M A I A
L I M I T E D 4
Stand up and be counted!
“Whai Maia have embraced the role of kaitiaki of the whānau census – thought to be the first of its kind in Aotearoa” Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia have embarked on a significant census survey project to help determine the current state and future aspirations of all our whānau. Wayne Pihema, the chair of the Whai Maia Research Committee, says the focus of the confidential whānau survey is to determine “who we are, where we are, and what our needs are” as descendants of Tuperiri. “Whai Maia have embraced the role of kaitiaki of the whānau census – thought to be the first of its kind in Aotearoa.” “The survey will be used to build a profile of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to aid cultural and social development for the current and future benefit of our people.”
REGISTERED HAPŪ MEMBER? UPDATED YOUR CONTACT DETAILS? VISIT www.ngatiwhatuaorakei.com
FOR MORE CENSUS UPDATES
“We need you to e tū and be counted so that we can build a profile of our hapū, in Aotearoa and abroad, and help shape the future of our whānau. Our core focus is whānau first, with an aim to positively influence our future generations - it is vital that we have as many people participate as possible.” The census is being led by the University of Auckland’s James Henare Māori Research Centre, of whom the lead researchers are also whānau – Associate Professor Merata Kawharu and Dr Krushil Watene. Associate Professor Merata Kawharu, a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori education, is a graduate of the University of Auckland and of Oxford University. She is the Director of Research at the Centre and has conducted research on kaitiakitanga and for various Treaty claimant groups. Dr Krushil Watene is also a graduate of The University of Auckland, as well as the University of St Andrews. She is a Research Fellow at the Centre and has research interests that include Social Philosophy, Ethinic Studies, Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Heritage. “The research team bring extensive experience – and personal whānau knowledge – to this project and we welcome their expert guidance,” says Wayne. A hard copy document will be sent to all registered members from 9 June and an online option will also be available. The survey closes on 31 July. Members only need to complete one form. Assistance will be provided to whānau who need help to complete the survey. All responses received on time will go in the draw to win a range of health, wellbeing and education prizes. To participate, make sure: • You are registered if you are 18 or over, and a descendent of Tuperiri • Your contact details are up to date • You can encourage whānau to participate • You contact us if you need more information If you or someone you know has moved, please contact us on 09 336 1670 or email info@ngatiwhatuaorakei.com. Also, watch out for our new Facebook page and visit www.ngatiwhatuaorakei.com for updates.
5
E Wawa Ra
Te Reo Wānanga
Revitalisation and strengthening of Te Reo and culture within our marae, communities and homes. Raising proficiency of Te Reo Māori amongst hapū members is a priority of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Board. The Board are committed to the revitalisation and strengthening of Te Reo and culture within our marae, communities and homes. In 2014, five Te Reo Wānanga will be held at Ōrākei Marae, led by experienced and expert Ngāti Whātua reo teachers. The wānanga are delivered in a mixture of bilingual and full immersion modes and aim to cater for all levels of language learners.
Each wānanga will commence at 6:00 pm on Friday evening and finish at 1:00 pm on Sunday. Additionally, Māori Language classes are held at Ōrākei Marae on Monday nights (6:00 pm - 8:30 pm). Two class levels are available, beginner and intermediate. It is pleasing to see there has been a large uptake from enthusiastic hapū members, some travelling from as far as South Auckland to be there. Applications are currently open for the July intake Monday evening classes.
The five reo wānanga are free for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei members and their spouses. Learners may attend all or just a few of the wānanga. There are limited spaces only. So we encourage you to register now.
If you are interested in any of the above mentioned Te Reo Māori programmes, please register at orakeied@ngatiwhatuaorakei.com or phone 09 972 0464 for more information.
THE WĀNANGA ARE SCHEDULED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
30 MAY
Te Reo Wānanga Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June Ōrākei Marae
27 JUN
Te Reo Wānanga Friday 27th June to Sunday 29th June Ōrākei Marae
1 AUG
Te Reo Wānanga
Friday 1st August to Sunday 3rd August Ōrākei Marae
29 SEP
Te Reo Wānanga
Friday 29th September to Sunday 31st September Ōrākei Marae
3 OCT
Te Reo Wānanga
Friday 3rd October to Sunday 5th October Ōrākei Marae
Education Festival 2014
Celebrate education for all whānau; from pepe to kaumātua.
The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Education Festival was held on Sunday 6th of April at Ōrākei Marae, and was represented by more than 38 stalls. Over 500 whānau attended throughout the day which proved to be successful with 500 education packs given out, 1800 portions of kai served and $1000 worth of prizes won. As an annual event, the purpose of the kaupapa was to celebrate education for all whānau; from pepe to kaumātua. Whānau were able to raise questions and find out as much as they could with stallholders such as Te Puna Reo Okahu Kura, Footsteps, Auckland Libraries, AUT, Massey University and Fulton Hogan - just to name a few. In total, 33 referrals were made to Early Childhood and Tertiary Institutions by whānau on the day.
The highlight of the day was seeing over 80 certificates given out to whānau for their achievements throughout the year. Achievements varied from recipients learning to swim to recipients achieving high exam results. Whai Poutama would like to thank all those who made the day possible; AUT, B&A, Massey University, Fulton Hogan, Mainz, GHD, Ōrākei Sports Club, Hato Petera, Auckland Grammar - InZone and Selwyn College. We also want to acknowledge our MC’s Santana Maihi Jobe, Jerome Cowley, Shazea Salim and Stage Manager Kataraina Davis. Last but not least, to all the whānau who helped support the day and made sure it was a successful and fun event.
6
Housing
Committed to achieving outcomes that support whānau needs. For the past 17 years, Housing New Zealand has been managing rental tenancies in over 63 hapū owned rental properties situated in Kupe, Rukutai, Te Arawa and Takitimu Streets. In response to hapū dissatisfaction with Housing New Zealand, we negotiated to get them to surrender its leases early. In September 2013, Housing New Zealand engaged with tenants to inform them that their homes would be handed back to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to manage. The process began in February 2014 with 90 day notices issued to the first 10 households and will continue until all homes are returned by June 2015. There are currently 36 homes with hapū members as tenants. Whai Maia and Whai Rawa will work together to enter into new tenancy agreements with those tenants if they wish to stay there. Whai Maia is working closely with Work and Income New Zealand and the tenants to ensure they are not impacted upon through this process. All non hapū tenants have been offered other Housing NZ homes. Whai Maia and Whai Rawa are navigating this process alongside whānau, and while the road has not always been smooth we are both committed to achieving outcomes that support whānau needs. Moving forward this means homes are brought up to standard by Whai
Rawa, with inspections and full repairs undertaken to ensure that they are safe before they are made available to whānau. Whai Maia will manage the tenancies and are maintaining a list of whānau who have expressed a housing need through either applying with Mai Whānau or directly to Whai Maia. If you have any concerns, or require assistance we encourage you to make contact with Maryanne Madden on 09 336 1670 or maryanne@ngatiwhatuaorakei.com.
W H A I
R A WA
L I M I T E D
7
E Wawa Ra
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea
A Series of Annual Financial Literacy workshops for whānau to learn about your assets Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa Limited has been in operation for over a year and will be taking the members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the descendants of Tuperiri, on a journey to ‘Understand Your Assets’, and the income they generate in more depth. Ngā Akoranga Pūtea, will be an annual financial literacy series that is focused on educating whānau on the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei asset base and commercial business activities. These sessions will be delivered in a way that everyone can understand and we will adapt the sessions from year to year to coincide with the growth of the portfolio and how that growth is being reported in our Annual Report. Whānau will also be taken through the business process and disciplines applied to asset accumulation. Our sessions aim to empower and provide whānau with greater depth and knowledge of the asset portfolio held by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. Whai Rawa will be delivering 3 x 2 hour workshops on the asset portfolio during July and August. The Ngā Akoranga Pūtea sessions are open to all Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei members and their whānau. More information can be found on the Whai Rawa website www. ngatiwhatuaorakei.com/whairawa.
Kāinga Tuatahi Kāinga – home, Tuatahi – the first, is the first papakāinga home ownership model of its kind where whānau will be able to recognize equity in their homes. It is also the first new housing development on the papakāinga in ten years. Kāinga Tuatahi will be a 30 home development on the Ōrākei papakāinga that will be spread over 9,112m2 across both sides of Kupe Street and heading down to Takitimu St.
3 WEEKEND SESSIONS ON UNDERSTANDING YOUR ASSETS
20 JUL 10 AUG 24 AUG
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday - 2pm to 4pm 20 July 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday - 2pm to 4pm 10 August 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday - 2pm to 4pm 24 August 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
The development itself has drawn quite a lot of interest from industry leaders of whom all want to be a part of this kaupapa. Kāinga Tuatahi will be a high quality, sustainable, innovative development that will establish a standard for iwi housing developments nationally. The Kāinga Tuatahi configuration is made up of 3 x 2 bedroom, 9 x 3 bedroom and 18 x 4 bedroom homes spread across two sites, a mixture of standalone, terraced and attached homes. The site layout incorporates shared green spaces to allow for growth, whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga and kotahitanga. In October 2013, after receiving 6 bids from some of the biggest firms in the country, the Kāinga Tuatahi development was awarded to Architecture firm Stevens Lawson. Stevens Lawson is the only architecture firm in New Zealand to have won the New Zealand Home of the Year Award more than once – and they have won it 4 times! With them by our side, we are confident that we will develop homes to be proud of. Building a development of this scale to a budget is no easy accomplishment however, Stevens Lawson have worked extremely hard to provide us with smart, sustainable, functional and high quality design. The design incorporates subtle references to the whenua, maunga, moana and marae. As the development progresses we will look to identify opportunities for whānau employment.
8
Wakakura
Wakakura is a 4.15ha (41,500m2) vacant piece of land in Devonport on the North Shore. Wakakura was purchased from the Crown as part of the WAI 388 Treaty of Waitangi settlement for a purchase price of $10 million. The Wakakura Block was the only piece of vacant land in the package negotiated with the Crown and the only land parcel Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei was able to control. All of the remaining 6 blocks, predominantly residential land blocks, that were negotiated in the deal are on lease back to the Navy until 2018. In February 2014, one year since settlement, we were presented with an opportunity by Ryman Healthcare, one of New Zealand’s leading providers of retirement living, to lease the land for 150years. Ryman paid Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei significantly more than the purchase price for the lease and both the land and the improvements will revert back to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in 150years.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have developed a good working relationship with Ryman Healthcare and we will be involved and consulted with, as the retirement village progresses. The sale proceeds will be reinvested into higher returning assets for the hapū.
Quay Park
In 1996 Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Māori Trust Board acquired the ex Railway lands from the Crown and onsold the leasehold interest with a prepaid period of 15 years. Over the 15 year period there were 29 commercial leases created with the first rent review due in August 2011. We have now settled 26 of the 29 leases by arbitration, mediation or agreement between the parties with two of the remaining disputes to be heard in an arbitration forum in June 2014. Now the 2011 ground rent review process is almost at an end, Whai Rawa are currently working on a full analysis of Quay Park and its occupants to enable us to improve activity within the precinct, improve saleability of units, and thus increase asset values across the portfolio. As part of our strategy for the next ground rent review in 2018 we are seeking to maximise rental income by strengthening relationships with lessees, reducing arbitration costs and negotiating more settlements.
Expect to see details of the Precinct Plan as our ideas develop and we put the plan into action.
W H Ā N A U 9
E Wawa Ra
Whānau charge Tamaki Drive at the 2014 Round the Bays
Twenty five eager Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei uri stood proud and ran strong amongst the tens of thousands of participants in this year’s Round the Bays event, representing our whānau, our hapū and our iwi. It was the first year that Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei entered an iwi team promoting the healthy lifestyle message. This event also highlighted whanaungatanga where by young and old joined together to finish the 8km journey around our ancestral lands with supporters and iwi members cheering us on along the way. Age was no barrier for our team, our youngest participant was 7 months old while our most experienced iwi member was 70 years old. This year’s run was also significant being the tenth anniversary of the passing of Rocky Hawke which added to the celebratory atmosphere of the day. While the event and the iwi participation was a complete success, let’s make our iwi team 100 strong next year!
10
Te Puru o Tāmaki Kaumātua
Key Dates
9 JUN 20 JUL 10 AUG 24 AUG 29 NOV 13 DEC (full story on page 3) SOURCE: Facebook
Census 2014 - Pack mail out Saturday 9 June 2014
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday 20 July 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday 10 August 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
Ngā Akoranga Pūtea Understanding Your Assets Sunday 24 August 2014 Ōrākei Marae Te Wharekai ki raro.
AGM - Annual General Meeting Saturday 29 November 2014 Ōrākei Marae
Whānau Celebrations 2014 Saturday 13 December 2014
www.ngatiwhatuaorakei.com